Hardware package and display



July 13, 1954 R. C. SEYFORTH 2,683,530 HARDWARE PACKAGE AND DISPLAY Filed Jan. 21, 1953 INVENTOR. ROME C; SEYFOR 7h m QM A T TOEIVE 6 Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present improvements relating as indicated to hardware packages have more particular regard to packages of this sort designed for displaying functionally cooperative articles of small hardware, such as household hardware, in number and kind sufiicient to provide complete sets as required for different applications thereof.

This type of display packaging has been found highly successful, especially where the articles are mounted in neat and pleasing arrangement on a flat display card, since all the items necessary for a particular intended job may readily be handled, inspected and sold as a unit. As a result, it is now common for cabinet catches and hinges, drawer or door pulls and catches, window hardware, and the like, to be put up in job-suited packages; for example, a package designed for use in mounting a cabinet door may include two hinges, a catch, and screws in number needed to secure the same to the door, all suitably mounted on a display card.

It is desirable to provide complete display sets of this nature for as many of the household hardware applications as possible, however, certain jobs, notably the installation of a screen door, require an elongated coil spring, and, heretofore, no display package has been available for conveniently mounting such a spring together with the hinges, pull, hooks and screws also used.

These springs, therefore, continued to be boxed an elongated flexible spring wherein the spring i is iiexed to reduce the effective length thereof and attached to a display card in this condition. It is also an object of the invention to mount an elongated spring in this fashion with a minimum of attaching means interengaging the spring and card. A. further object is to provide a display package for hardware including a loop-type handle, such as a screen door handle, and an elongated flexible spring wherein the handle is utilized to hold the spring against a display card. Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of a display package in accordance with my invention wherein the hardware required for installation of a screen door is mounted on a flat display card;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of such package showing the arrangement of the fastening means used to secure the hardware to the card;

Fig. 3 is a top edge View of the package, this view being indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, my invention is there shown, for purposes of illustration only, as applied to the packaging of a screen door set comprising a pair of hinges in, a door handle ll, an elongated coil spring l2, and a small bag 53, of plastic or other suitable material, within which the screws, hooks and eye required to attach these articles to the door are contained.

This hardware is arranged on a flat display card It which has a face portion l5 and is provided with a plurality of apertures for the reception of article fastening means. In order that printed matter may appear on both sides of the card, it is preferred that the card be made as an elongated blank having a finished surface adapted to receive the printing desired, the blank being folded lengthwise to form the card with the finished and printed blank surface outward of the fold. Folding the card in this manner, of course, additionally serves to improve the rigidity thereof. Hinges ID are arranged in sideby-side relation on the face portion I5 of the card, and apertures it are disposed to correspond with the outer aligned openings of each hinge plate. Passing through the openings Hi from the rear of the card are metallic, generally U-shaped, clasps H, the end portions I8 of which are bent inwardly over the hinge plates after passing through the openings therein. The handle I! is secured to the card in similar manner by means of a further clasp [9 extending through card apertures 2!] arranged in registering relation with the openings 2| in the respectiveends of such handle. As shown, the thus secured handle projects outwardly from face portion I5 of the card and extends generally at right angles relative to and above the mounted hinges.

The small bag it, containing the screws and other fastening elements, is suitably attached to the card under the mounted handle, for example, by stapling. This bag is preferably of such size that it will lie generally flat beneath the handle, as shown, and overlie the upper hinge portions. It will be apparent that the arrangement thus far described efiiciently utilizes the card area to maximum extent, presenting the hardware in neat and pleasing manner.

In accordance with my invention, the elongated coil spring I2 is also secured wholly within the confines of the card, and, to this end, a further openin 22 is located in the lower card portion centrally of the openings 20 used to attach the handle. This further opening lies between the mounted hinges it! and is adapted to receive a metal clasp 23, of general staple form, having outwardly flaring end portions 24 engaging the rear card surface. Thus, clasp 23 projects from the same card face as does handle H.

Since the normal spring length is greater than the card extent, spring !2 is flexed to form two side-by-side loops and attached to the card in this condition. This is achieved by first placing the spring on the card with the central portion 25 thereof overlying hinges ll] between opening 22 and handle H in parallel relation to the latter. The respective spring end portions 28 are next looped inwardly to the remote side of handle H and passed therethrough across bag is and central spring portion 25 until end rings 2? are located above opening 22. Staple clasp 23 is then passed through rings 2'! and opening 22 and its end portions 2d flared as shown. The spring is, therefore, maintained in generally fiat looped condition by the cooperative action of handle I i and clasp 23, with the central spring portion 25 being restrained from outward movement relative to the card by the crossing thereover of spring end portions 26. Likewise, the spring overlies and holds bag i3 against the card, thereby protecting against the bag being torn from the card in handling.

As a result of the described packaging, all necessary articles for mounting a screen door, including the unwieldy spring, are presented as a complete set in a package particularly suited for display purposes. While the set described in detail is designed for screen door use, it is obvious that elongated springs may also be attached to display cards in the manner set forth either alone or with other hardware articles, and if the hardware to be displayed does not include a loop-type door handle, a loop clasp or equivalent fastening means may be utilized in place of such handle.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A hardware display package comprising a loop-type door handle, a coiled door spring, a display card having a face portion, means operative to secure said handle to said card with the loop thereof projecting outwardly from said face portion, an opening in said card spaced from the thus secured handle intermediate the ends thereof, the central portion of said spring being disposed on said card between said handle and said opening, the end portions of said sprin being looped respectively inwardly to the remote side of said handle and passed therethrough and across said central sprin portion, and clasp means attached to said card through said opening operative to engage the ends of said spring, whereby the spring will be maintained in looped condition on said card by the cooperative action of said handle and said clasp means.

2. A hardware display package comprising a coiled door spring, a display card having a face portion, a loop member secured to said card and projecting outwardly from said face portion, the central portion ofsaid spring being disposed on said card to one side of said loop member, the end portions of said spring being looped respectively inwardly to the opposite side of said loop memoer and passed therethrough and across said central spring portion, and clasp means interengaging the end portions of said spring and said card on the side of said central spring portion removed from said loop member.

3. A hardware display package comprising a coiled door spring, a display card, said spring being disposed on said card in the form of two loops arranged in side-by-side relation with the respective end portions thereof overlying the central spring portion, first attaching means calried by said card operative to engage the looped portions of said spring, thereby to hold the same against said card, and second attaching means arranged in side-by-side relation with the respective end portions thereof overlyin the central spring portion, readily detachable means interengaging the upper portions or the spring loops and the card, and means likewise readily detachable interengaging the end portions of the spring and the card, thereby to maintain the spring in such looped condition on said card.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 998,249 Kaiser July 18, 1911 1,019,735 Goodrich Mar. 5, 1912 

